Trypanophobia
by Twisteddarkness225
Summary: Lisa Loud is intelligent well beyond her years. But at heart she is still just a four year old. So what happens when a very young genius has to get a shot when she doesn't like them? Rated T to be safe.


**This is something that I've had on the back burner for a good while now. I was going to post it sooner, but found myself caught up working on other things and only recently got around to actually writing it. But in the interest of clearing some ideas from my mind, I decided to just write it out little by little while working on my other stories. As always, honest feedback and constructive criticism is appreciated.**

 **Trypanophobia**

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own the Loud House and make no profit from this story.

Being the parent of eleven children was a huge responsibility. One which required hours of dedication, careful financial planning, and equally careful planning when dividing attention between all of the children. Not to mention what was the largest requirement of all, an abundance of patience. The mere thought of raising such a large number of children would be enough t intimidate anybody. And to actually endure such a responsibility day after day proved to be exhausting. But both Rita and Lynn Loud Sr. managed to pull it off, despite any and all difficulties that could pop up unexpectedly. This was especially true when it came to the second youngest of the Loud children, Lisa Marie Loud.

It wasn't as though Lisa was a problem exclusively. Any of their eleven kids could provide their own from of challenges. The twins were almost always a handful and they fought nearly each day of the week. Lincoln could be selfish and a bit of a control freak at times. Lucy would occasionally vanish as abruptly as she would just suddenly appear, causing both of her parents to worry about her whereabouts. And Lynn Junior was restless _and_ reckless; often enough that she may very well end up setting a world record for the most sports-related injuries in one year. But Lisa was in a league all her own.

The very moment Rita and Lynn Sr. learned of their tenth child's gift, they were overwhelmed with pride and hope for her. They talked about all of the good she could do, of the possibilities she would have, and of the certainty that she would have a bright and prosperous future. What they hadn't anticipated was that Lisa would use her intelligence to her own personal benefit. One such occurrence had taken place on April first one year. In exchange for being given sanctuary in her bunker, Lisa's parents had agreed to no longer punish her whenever she caused any explosions with her lab work. As a result, the number of explosions she caused had nearly doubled in frequency ever since. A fact that both Rita and Lynn Sr. found to be quite unsettling.

Thankfully the other complications Lisa presented came with less collateral damage. And most of her was funded by various organizations which all wanted to make use of her talents. Medical research facilities, nuclear technicians, and instructors in the fields of chemistry, physics, biology and mathematics all sought aid from the highly intelligent four year old. The influx of cash from all of the work Lisa did easily compensated for her efforts, not to mention any 'unexpected combustions'. But in the end, Mr. and Mrs. Loud were still apprehensive about the large amounts of work that their child took on. Regardless of how mature and level-headed she could be most of the time, Lisa was still just a little girl. And even if she wouldn't admit to it, she would still exhibit childish behaviors. Such as the refusal to get a shot at the doctor's office.

Today was Lisa's check-up and she was due for an inoculation as well. The previous year had been disastrous. Neither Rita nor Lynn Sr. enjoyed recalling the occasion as it had resulted in having to find a new pediatrician for Lisa at a new clinic, not to mention a narrowly dodged lawsuit. This year however, they hoped that Lisa would prove to be more cooperative. The chances were slim, but the Louds were willing to hope. That and employ a little white lie or two just to get their daughter to joining them for a 'ride'. As least accomplishing that much would be easy.

Rita Loud ascended the stairs to the second floor of her home, headed for the room of her two youngest children. It was incredibly quiet at the moment as most of her children were out enjoying the beautiful weather. All except for Lisa of course, who was busily working as always.

"Lisa, sweetie." Rita called as she knocked on her daughter's bedroom door. "Are you busy?"

"Not particularly." Came Lisa's response from inside. "You may enter."

Rita went into her daughter's bedroom, finding the four year old seated at her desk. Lisa set aside the scientific papers she had been reading and turned in her little swivel chair to look up at her mother patiently. Rita did her best to act casual while in the presence of the highly observant little scientist. If she seemed even a bit off it would make Lisa suspicious of her intentions. It could prove downright impossible to hide something from her, given how quick she could be to analyze practically anything and everything if she wished. But Rita's biggest fear was that she could possible lose the trust of her child. It was a bit unlikely when one considered just how mature Lisa was, but still...

"Mother, you're staring at me in complete silence. Frankly, I'm starting to grow concerned."

"Oh, sorry Honey!" Rita said, her mind returning to the matter at hand. "It's just that sometimes it's hard for me to believe how grown up you are. If I didn't know any better, I'd just thing that you were a cute little girl playing school."

"If not for the fact that you are my mother, I would have found that statement to be patronizing. But that aside, to what do I owe the pleasure of your company?"

"Well, your father has to run a couple of errands in the next town over and he's going to be near that big bookstore that we went to last month." Rita said, pausing to adore the way she saw Lisa's eyes light up. "And I thought that my little bookworm might want to tag along so the two of us could browse around for some new reading material together."

"That would be a rather pleasant diversion. I could use a brief recess. When will we be departing?"

"In about five minutes or so. If you're ready now then we can head downstairs to wait for your father."

Lisa took a moment to reorganize the papers on her desk before accompanying her mother down the stairs to the front door. They were joined shortly after by Lynn Loud Sr. and the three then set out. Both parents began to feel anxious as the ride began. Their daughter was sitting in the row of seats behind them, buckled into the center seat with a book in her hands. Rita could see the tiniest hint of a smile on Lisa's face as she watched her via the rear-view mirror. Sadly Rita knew that would soon be replaced with a displeased scowl. That's when the trouble would start. Their only and best chance would be to try and reason with her. An area in which the brilliant youngster had them outclassed. But that's when they'd fall back to their last resort: bribery.

The ride went by without incident and they soon reached their destination. Lisa felt the vehicle's speed decrease significantly and then after roughly another minute or so of slow travelling it finally came to a stop as Lynn Sr. found a parking spot. Lisa finished the paragraph she had been in the middle of reading and closed her book. Her gaze wandered out the nearby window and to a large, brick building with large, glass windows on either side of the automatic, sliding door entrance. Through these windows she saw a large reception area with multiple armchairs and a variety of children's toys and books set in an open area where children were currently playing. This seemed oddly familiar to the brilliant girl and she quickly turned her attention to the sign over the building's entrance.

"Huntington Oaks Pediatric Clinic?" she read aloud as realization at last dawned on her. "Dang it. This is how you duped me last year."

"Now sweetie." Mrs. Loud began. "I know what you must be thinking."

"I'm thinking that my mother deceived me." Lisa bluntly stated as she crossed her arms.

"Lisa, please. I didn't lie to you. I just...didn't tell you the entire truth. Your father really is running important errands today. The first on the list is taking you here for your annual physical. And once we're done here we really are going to the bookstore, just like I said we would. It's right across the street, next to a restaurant supply store that your father need to go to. See?"

Lisa glanced at the other side of the street and saw that her mother was indeed being truthful. However this did little to improve Lisa's mood. She kept her arms crossed and turned her gaze back to her mother with narrowed eyes.

"Regardless of that fact, I am still peeved that you tricked me. No doubt I am here for an immunization of some sort and as you well know, I detest receiving immunizations."

"But Honey you need to get them. I wish that you wouldn't fight us over this."

"I am not fighting. I am employing civil disobedience through means of nonviolent resistance. I refuse to vacate this vehicle until we are no longer at this or any similar facility. And if that means having to forgo the visit to the bookstore, then so be it."

"Lisa, Sweetheart, please..." Rita began.

"No." The genius abruptly cut in. "Whatever sort of vaccine I am required to receive, I am more than capable of synthesizing it myself in the form of a chewable tablet. I can even make it any flavor I wish."

The youngster then averted her gaze from her mother. Lynn Sr. looked at his wife with one eyebrow raised, as if to ask 'what do we do now'? Rita was trying to find the best available option at the moment. Bribing Lisa was still on the table, but she desperately wanted to try and avoid that unless they had no other choice left. She feared that it would only enable this type of behavior in the future. Lisa could very well choose to 'civily disobey' again if she believed that she had something to gain from doing so. And if they were to learn of it, some of the other younger Loud children may attempt to follow Lisa's example as well, leading to more problematic situations like this one.

Rita could only conclude that as of this moment, it was best to just try and continue reasoning with Lisa. Although it would prove to be more difficult than she would have anticipated. Lynn Sr. could tell that his wife was stuck and knew that he needed to step forward to lend a hand. But this would mean he'd need to play a very risky card with Lisa: exercising authority.

"Young lady, we are not putting this up for debate. You are going in there one way or the other. So either walk in on your own two feet like a big girl or I will carry you inside, even if you kick and scream all the way!"

Lisa gasped, her eyes widening in shock. Rita sighed heavily, realizing her husbands mistake even before he did. It soon became clear to him though, as he saw his daughter's shocked expression turn into one of anger. She glared at him briefly before turning away again as though she had seen something detestable before her.

"Very well Father." Lisa stated icily. "If you insist on carrying me, then you may do so. But I shall, as you so insultingly put it, 'kick and scream' each and every step of the way like an ill-behaved child. Just know that in doing so, any passerby whom may witness my actions may very well mistake you for an incompetent parent."

It was Lynn's turn to gasp in shock at his daughter's words. Had any of his other children said such a thing to him, he wouldn't have hesitated to raise his voice in response. But past experiences had proven that to be a poor choice when dealing with Lisa. Especially if she wasn't in a good mood. So instead, he accepted that he had made a bad call on how to handle the situation and unbuckled his seat belt so he could exit the driver's seat. Rita also stepped out of Vanzilla and joined him while he took a moment to compose himself. He was rubbing his temples and let out a heavy sigh as he turned to face his wife.

"Before you say anything Honey, I realized that I made a mistake."

"By treating Lisa like an ordinary four year old? You know how demeaning she finds that!"

"I know, I know. She's just being so childish right now. I don't honestly know what surprises me more. That she can actually act like a normal little kid sometimes, or that our genius four year old, who can handle uranium without batting an eye, is afraid of getting a shot."

Rita suppressed a giggle. "It's a bit funny when you think about it, isn't it? But at least she hasn't locked herself in the van like Lori did when she was younger."

"I remember that. It was the middle of August and over a hundred degrees outside. She had poor Leni, Luna and baby Luan trapped in their with her. I had to break the lock on one of the doors to get them out. I didn't even bother getting it fixed, just to avoid having to go through _that_ situation again."

"Well even if you had fixed the lock, I doubt Lisa would go as far as locking herself inside of Vanzilla. But how are we going to get her to cooperate with us now? Even if we can manage to get her to go inside with or without any trouble, it won't make it any easier for her to behave when the time comes for her shot. Who knows what she'll do?"

"Yeah, I've been thinking about that." Lynn admitted with a sigh. "I'm afraid we'll have to use our trump card today."

"I was afraid that you would say that. Alright, go ahead Honey."

Lynn Sr. opened the side door on Vanzilla and looked down at Lisa. The girl did nothing to acknowledge his presence. But when he sat down next to her, she turned her head away and scooted over in the opposite direction. Lisa felt his hand on her shoulder and she waited for him to try and lift her up, to try and take her out of Vanzilla. But instead, she found herself being surprised by something she had not expected at all.

"We'll take you to Harvard."

Lisa, despite her mighty intelligence, needed a moment to process that. She gaped at her father silently until she was able to find her voice.

"You...you will?"

"If you want us to, then we will take you to Harvard. Or Yale or any other school that you have interest in attending. Heck, we can take you to all of them. YOu can tour the campuses, talk with the professors and really look into what you want to do when it's time for you to go to college. But for now, your mother and I really just want you to let us take care of you like we do with all of your siblings. And that includes making sure that you get a shot when you have to. So what do you say, kiddo? Will you take one little step forward for us today and in exchange, we can help you take a bigger step forward when you're older?"

"I have your word on this?" Lisa asked, still in a mild state of disbelief.

"I promise." Lynn Sr. said solemnly.

"We both do." Rita added. "Please Sweetie, we only want what is best for you. And it's only one little shot."

Lisa sat quietly as she pondered the offer her parents had made. It didn't take long though, as it was quite obvious as to what choice she would make. She unbuckled her seat belt and held out her hand for her father to take in his own.

"Very well, I accept your terms. You may escort me inside now."

The Loud parents sighed in relief and took Lisa into the clinic. After taking a minute to check in with the receptionist, the three found a place to sit and wait for Lisa to be called in for her appointment. Lisa found a science magazine to peruse, having left her book inside of the van. But before she could fully immerse herself in a relatively interesting article, her name was called and she had to set the magazine back down.

Lisa was brought through a doorway by the receptionist and down the hall to a small room where she would receive her checkup. Her mother and father remained in the waiting room at the request of the staff, albeit reluctantly. Lisa assured them it would be fine and went along to the examination room where she would be given her physical that day. Time seemed to slow down to a crawl once Lisa had left their sight and they began waiting for her return. Both parents silently hoped that things would go well, but they couldn't help but feel a nervous knot forming in their stomachs.

Meanwhile, inside of the examining room, Lisa stood on the height/weight scale as the male nurse took down her new measurements. The nurse was a tall man with broad shoulders, a strong jaw with a goatee and a shaved head. He had tattoos on his forearms that looked like barbed wires coiling around his appendages in a criss-cross pattern. At first glance one would easily mistake him for a biker if not for the light blue scrubs he was currently wearing. Any normal child would have probably been intimidated by such a person. Lisa however was unimpressed and had already resisted the urge to make a snide comment or two at the man's expense. It wasn't that she had anything personal against him. She was just getting anxious and he, who was in association with the ones administering the upcoming inoculation, was partially responsible for the growing discomfort she was feeling. The moment he finished his job, the doctor would be entering with the ill-awaited shot.

"You've grown nearly an inch and a half since last year." Said the male nurse, whose name-tag read 'Mike'. "But you've also gotten a bit heavier than most children your age. I'm guessing that someone likes candy."

 _'And I'm guessing that you're unaware of how rude that statement was. You essentially told me that I'm getting fat, you motorcycle gang reject.'_ Lisa thought harshly. _'Perhaps if you had made better life choices, then you might have been able to become a real doctor instead of a measly medical attendant whom is only trusted with the simplistic tasks that any primate could accomplish.'_

The nurse recorded Lisa's new height and weight onto her chart and had her hop up onto the examining table. After putting on a clean pair of medical gloves he took a tongue depressor out of the jar by the sink as well as a small flashlight from his pocket. He was pleased to find that Lisa had already opened her mouth and stuck out her tongue so he could inspect her throat. She cooperated when he tested her reflexes and checked her eyes and ears. She sat still as he used his stethoscope to check her breathing and heartbeat. And then lastly he checked her pulse and blood pressure.

"Looking good kiddo." Mike said as he disposed of his gloves and then wrote down the latest data he had just gathered. "You're the picture of perfect health. We're nearly done now. You just need to wait for Doctor Simmons to come in and give you your shots."

"Shots?!" Lisa repeated suddenly, her eyes widening. "There must be some mistake! I was only due for one today!"

"Hmm, no that isn't the case. I'm sorry but you need two." He replied while checking his clipboard. "Last time you had a check up you got your polio shot. Now you need a Hep-B shot and a flu shot. But there's nothing to worry about. It's just two little pinches and then it's all done. You'll hardly know it happened at all."

"NO!" Lisa blatantly objected. "I am NOT tolerating this! I was told that I was only to receive a single inoculation today. I demand to see my mother! She'll set things straight!"

"Easy, little lady. There's no need to get upset. Your mommy already knows all about this. But if it helps you feel any better, we can have her come in and hold your hand, okay?"

Mike turned to open the door, oblivious to the shocked look on Lisa's face. This turned into anger, her fists clenching as her eyes quickly scanned the small room. In an instant she formulated a plan and in the next instant she began putting it into action. Mike barely had enough time to turn the door handle before he heard tiny feet scrambling behind him. He turned and saw Lisa climbing up onto the counter, a determined look on her face.

"Hey! Get down from there, kid! No, no touching that! That isn't a toy! Hey!...HEY!"

-The Loud House-

At the same time that Lisa was stirring up trouble in the examining room, Rita Loud found herself being shocked by the same unexpected news that Lisa had received. But instead of her shock giving way for anger like it had with her young child, Rita's had swiftly turned into worry. Memories of what had occurred the preceding year flashed through her mind, nearly making her shudder. She could tell from the look on her husband's face that he too was reliving the less than pleasant occasion. Again they hoped that there would be no need for them to be so worried. That despite these new circumstances, Lisa would honor her end of their promise and cooperate. But the Louds quickly found themselves being asked by the young man at the receptionist's desk to come back to the examining room that Lisa was in. It seemed that Lisa was, as he put it, 'being a bit difficult.'

If only they could be so fortunate.

The receptionist led them to the room, its door closed. Standing by the door was a young woman with long chestnut hair and hazel eyes. She was wearing a doctor's coat and seemed to carry an air of confidence about her that could put even the most paranoid and nervous person at ease. It was a much needed quality at the moment for the Loud parents. The moment the young doctor saw them she met them with a comforting smile and extended her hand in greeting.

"Mr. and Mrs. Loud.." She said, her voice carrying a charming English accent. "My name is Doctor Jenna Simmons. Lisa's new pediatrician."

"It's very nice to meet you." Mrs. Loud said, taking Dr. Simmons's hand and shaking it. "I'm just sorry that we couldn't have met under better circumstances.

"And we're also _very_ sorry for whatever trouble our daughter has caused." Lynn Sr. added, also shaking Dr. Simmons's hand. "Be honest, what did she do?"

"She's shut herself inside of the examining room with one of our nurses and refuses to come out." Dr. Simmons explained.

"Oh no, not again." Mr. Loud groaned. "She did this last year too. She's probably demanded to not have to get her shots, am I right?"

"Actually Mr. Loud, Lisa is requesting to talk with her mother. We're going to try having your wife talk her down and then I'd like to speak with her. I've been looking forward to meeting Lisa, especially after I learned just how brilliant she is. I'm just sorry to say we weren't quite expecting...this on her first visit, or at all for that matter."

"Who would have?" Rita asked in reply. "It still caught us off guard even though it happened last year and we have nine children at home who are all older than her. You think we'd be prepared for this sort of thing by now."

"one year one of our other daughters, Lana, bit a nurse." Lynn Sr. added. "The poor woman needed three stitches and a tetanus shot."

"Oh...oh my. Well, let's see to it that we settle this little matter without further incident, shall we?" Dr. Simmons said. "Mrs. Loud, please proceed whenever you are ready."

Rita stepped up to the door and knocked. "Lisa? It's me, Honey. I'm going to come in now, okay? Please don't do anything rash."

"I won't." Lisa replied from inside the room. "So long as you do nothing that I find suspicious!"

Lisa's words were as harsh as her tone. Rita winced a little at her child's response, but didn't let it stop her. She gingerly placed her hand onto the door's handle and turned it slowly. Next she pushed the door inward enough to allow herself to enter the room, leaving the door slightly ajar behind her. And the sight that awaited her within the room was worse than she expected.'

"Oh no. Lisa Marie Loud, please put that weapon down!"

"She has a _WHAT_?!" Lynn Sr. exclaimed, clutching at his hair as he let out a woeful groan. "Oh, this is already turning out so much worse than last year! What exactly does she have?"

"I...I'm nor sure. It looks like a stun gun or something!"

Rita's guess was quite accurate. Lisa had fashioned a crude, yet fully functional stun gun from various things that she had found in the examining room. The frame was made from tongue depressors and held together with ample amounts of medical tape. Its insides were comprised mainly of pieces she had exhumed from the digital thermostat, the room's landline and Mike's flashlight. The wires and batteries were all expertly arranged into a working circuit that would generate a current of electricity when it was activated via the switch on the device's handle, which had also been appropriated from the flashlight. It wasn't lethal, or even really dangerous at all. But it certainly looked the part and that was sufficient for Lisa. She had it pointed to Mike's head, her other hand gripping him firmly by the collar of his shirt.

"Mother, you owe me an explanation." Lisa said, her tone icy. "Why did you not inform me that I was required to receive _two_ inoculations today?"

"Honey, I didn't know! I swear I only just found out! You probably knew it before I did!"

"Well, isn't that a convenient excuse? You'll have to forgive me if I find it hard to believe. After all, you already deceived me once today and you did employ a similar deception one year ago at a preceding pediatric appointment I had to attend. What reason do I have to believe you at this particular moment?"

"I...I...Lisa, I can only give you my word. And I understand that may not mean very much to you right now. But please, believe me when I say that I'm just doing this for what I believe is in your best interests. I only want what's best for you, Sweetie."

"What you understand, what you believe, what you want." Lisa repeated, almost in a mocking tone of voice. "Well, Mother dear, permit me to tell _you_ what I understand, what I believe and what I want. I understand that I am by no means perfect and can even be childish at times. Do forgive me for that, I am only four years of age after all. As for what I believe, well I personally don't care for the way you proceeded with today's events. So I believe that regardless of my potential for any childish behavior, that you could have found a more suitable method other than deception. But above all else, what I want...what I want...

Lisa hesitated, her voice wavering slightly. Rita could see that her daughter's eyes were growing moist. The youngster fought back the tears as best she could, but was unable to keep the first one from running down her cheek. When she spoke again, she was nearly whimpering.

"I want to be able to trust my mother!"

The words were spoken softly, but struck Rita in the heart like a well sharpened arrow. The corners of her own eyes began to well up with tears as she came to understand why Lisa was so upset. She stepped closer to her child and knelt down so she could look her in the eyes. Then, she cautiously reached out and placed her hand onto the one that Lisa was using to hold her stun gun. Lisa felt her hand being guided away from the head of the male nurse and situated so that she was now pointing the stun gun at her mother's chest. This surprised Lisa, and she looked at her mother in silence, her curiosity overcoming her emotions.

"I am so sorry, Sweetheart. I never wanted to upset you, especially not this much. I promise that I had no idea that you were going to be getting a second shot today. Cross my heart. And if you still don't believe me, then go ahead and shock me right now. Because if I am lying to you, then that is what I deserve."

Rita let go of Lisa's hand, allowing the girl to make her decision. Lisa was still and silent for a moment, and outside of the room Lynn Sr. had hit a new level of anxiety. He had been completely caught off guard by his wife's actions. And while he knew in his heart that Lisa would never dare to harm her own mother, he had this awful little voice nagging him in the the back of his head, asking him 'what will you do if you're wrong?'

The tension in the room at last came to its end as Lisa lowered the hand made stun gun, letting it drop to the floor. She then released her hold on Mike's collar, the male nurse immediately getting to his feet and rushing out of the room.

"That kid of yours is a psycho!" He spat venomously as he stormed off. "You people can expect to hear from my lawyer!"

Lynn Sr. groaned again, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I saw that coming a mile away. I should go and give our lawyer a call too. To let her know what happened. Will you be all set while I step outside, Honey?"

Rita nodded and turned her attention back to Lisa after her husband left. She saw her little girl sulking, clearly feeling guilty over what she had done. It helped to put Rita a bit more at ease. At least nobody could say that Lisa didn't have a conscious. The tears she had been holding back only moments before were now flowing freely down her cheeks. She extended her arms towards her mother, her lower lip quivering. Rita picked Lisa up, hugging her tightly as she hushed her crying child.

"It's okay, Honey. It's okay."

"I'm sorry." Lisa whimpered after her tears finally stopped.

"I know you are. I'm sorry too. You were right when you said that I could have done a better job with taking you here today. I should have been honest with you from the start and we could have avoided all of this."

"I hope that I haven't caused you too much trouble. I know that, as a minor, my actions can become something for which both you and Father are liable."

"Don't you worry about that one little bit. We'll take care of it. We always do."

The sound of gentle knocking then caught their attention. Dr. Simmons stepped into the room and approached them.

"Please forgive the interruption, but I believe that I can help you with that. You see, Lisa really was only to be given just one inoculation today. But one of our nurses, the very same one who just left, has been taking it upon himself to schedule flu shots for children as they come in for their check ups. This, for the most part, hasn't been an issue. But your daughter is a special case. No other child has ever pulled off a stunt like this, and we can certainly say that we wouldn't have expected anything even close to it. However, I believe that we can resolve this without needing to get lawyers involved. I'll speak with Michael and see about reasoning with him once he's has some time to calm down."

"That would be great if you could try. But we understand if it doesn't work out." Rita said, adjusting herself so she was now sitting on the examining bed with Lisa on her lap. "Lisa, Sweetie, this is Dr. Simmons."

"Hello Lisa, it's a pleasure to meet you."

"Hello." Lisa replied somewhat timidly. "I apologize for the commotion I caused today. For whatever it is worth, I am ready to cooperate and receive my immunizations."

"Well I'm glad to hear that." Dr. Simmons said. "But I had a thought that you may like to hear. How about we just give you the one that you were initially supposed to get today and then schedule you in next week for the other one? I can see you during my lunch break and we can chat for a while. I've heard about the research you do while at home and there's so much I would love to discuss with you!"

Lisa found herself intrigued by the offer and she accepted it eagerly. Dr. Simmons left the room for a moment to inform the front desk of the schedule change and to also retrieve the needle for Lisa's inoculation. When she returned, she also had something else that caught Lisa's eye. A large, chocolate flavored lollipop.

"Here you go Lisa. You're welcome to enjoy this while I give you your shot. I find that distractions are a good way to get children to sit through their inoculations. So I want you to forget all about the needle and instead focus on how tasty this lollipop is as well as how cozy you are in your mother's lap. Could you do that for me please?"

The young genius easily complied with the request. She took the sugary treat and began to savor it while she nestled herself against her mother. Just as Dr. Simmons had said, Lisa entered a state of contentment which helped to put her mind at ease for what was about to occur. She was barely aware of her sleeve being rolled up, as well as the quick wiping of her bare skin with the alcohol wipe. There was a sudden pinch, but it was done before she could even react. The next thing Lisa knew, she had a green band-aid on her arm and her mother was planting a kiss on her forehead.

"There you are, all done." Dr. Simmons said. "That wasn't so bad, now was it? Would you like to have a sticker, Lisa?"

"Yes." Lisa replied, taking her lollipop from her mouth. "Yes I would, please and thank you."

Moments later, Lisa was escorted back to the waiting room by her mother. She had a red, heart-shaped sticker on the left side of her turtle-neck and she was finishing her chocolaty treat while her mother took care of the copay for the appointment. The two then went out to the parking lot where Mr. Loud was waiting by Vanzilla.

"How did it go, Honey?" He asked as they arrived.

"Very well actually. Lisa got one of her shots and she'll be getting the other one next week. And she's going to make sure that she behaves for that one, isn't that right Lisa?"

"That is correct. I will be on my best behavior. And I apologize for the trouble that I initiated today."

"Dr. Simmons also said that she'd speak with that nurse for us. Try and convince him to let what happened go." Rita added.

"Well that's good news. But all the same, Lisa has to be punished for what she did. So she will not get to go to the bookstore today. The trip to Harvard will also have to be postponed. We can discuss it again after your fifth birthday, young lady."

"I understand." Lisa said, letting her head hang a little bit. "It's only fair since I failed to uphold my end of our agreement. I apologize again for my actions earlier today."

"Aw, it's alright kiddo. I forgive you." Lynn Sr. said, ruffling his daughter's hair. "You're lucky that I can't stay mad at you. Now come on, I've still got to grab a couple things at the store across the street. Then we can stop by the supermarket and pick up something to cook for dinner."

Mr. Loud got into the driver's seat and Rita chose to join Lisa in the back, to keep her company while Lynn went into the store. Once they were parked across the street, Lynn hopped out of the can, telling the two ladies that he'd 'be out in a jiffy'. He entered the store and Rita opted to pass the time by playing a game on her phone. But she soon found herself distracted by a small hand tugging on her shirt sleeve.

"Mother? May I please speak with you?"

"Of course, Sweetie." Rita replied, putting her phone down. "What's on your mind?"

"I owe you an explanation. To be precise, I wish to tell you why I have a fear of needles."

Rita was surprised. Not by Lisa's wish to confess her fears, but by the sudden realization that it gave her. Most children simply didn't like the quick sting of the needle. But Lisa's reason or reasons could prove to be not as simple as that. Rita felt slightly ashamed for not having thought of this sooner. It was yet another way she could have prevented today's incident. But it wouldn't do her much good to dwell on what could have been. So she sat attentively and encouraged Lisa to proceed with what she wanted to say.

"While I understand that the odds of any of the following actually occurring are slim, each of them still...frighten me. Such as the thought of the needle breaking off and becoming stuck inside of my arm. Or of the possibility that a mistake has been made and a previously used needle will be the one from which I receive the injection. And then there's the reason that scares me the most of all. That an air bubble will be inside of the needle when I get the injection and said air bubble will become trapped in my veins, which causes air embolism. Are you aware of how dangerous that is?"

Rita shook her head. "Honestly, I have no idea. But I won't doubt you if you think it is. Why didn't you tell your father and I about this sooner?"

"Because you dislike it when I list the dangers of riding in the van out loud. So I was under the impression that you would also wish for me to refrain from doing the same regarding this matter."

"Oh, Lisa, come here." Rita unbuckled her daughter and pulled her into her lap. "I don't want you to ever worry about telling us why something is bothering you. Especially if it scares you. It shouldn't matter whether or not anyone dislikes it. So please don't hesitate the next time you need to tell me or your father anything important like that in the future. Alright?"

"I promise that I will not keep such important details from you from this point onward."

"Thank you, Honey. And since we're both being more honest with each other now, it's only fair to tell you that you have to go see the dentist the week after next. So feel free to tell me now if there's anything about seeing Dr. Finestein that frightens you."

"That won't be an issue, Mother. I will be on my best behavior for that appointment. And that is because I know that you trust Dr. Finestein." Lisa said just before giving her mother a big hug. "And I trust you!"

The end.

 **Okay, so that's off of my list of One-shot ideas. But I feel I need to address one issue that I found in my own story. I was really on the bar with that part where Lisa is brought to the examining room without her parents tagging along with her and the nurse. I can see that being the case with older kids, like Lori, Leni, Luna and Luan. But not so much with a kid around Lisa's age. But for the sake of making the plot I came up with work, I went with it even though I knew it would be doing something others may call out. Regardless, I hope that this story was enjoyable and I want to give a shout out to Weavillain who's got a story by the title of "Give it a Shot" which inspired me to do this. If you haven't read it yet, definitely do so the next time you want a good one-shot to enjoy.**


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